After quite a bit of research on the forum, and other sources on the web, I%26#39;ve compiled my first attempt at a plan for our honeymoon to Hawaii for 10/22 and departing on 10/30. I%26#39;ve already made some major changes to the location for the luau and the helicopter tour based of reviews and feedback from another post on this site (changed from doing both on Maui to the BI). If anybody could give some constructive criticism / feedback for our plans, I would greatly appreciate it. (I%26#39;ve checked start / end times for the selected activities each day to ensure they don%26#39;t overlap)
Monday 10/22:
Arrive in Kona at 1:32 PM and pickup rental car to travel to rental home in Kailua-Kona. Eat in for the night (fast food / delivery / take home = something easy after the long flight).
Tuesday 10/23:
Dolphins encounter at 9:00 AM at the Hilton Waikoloa Village, Lunch on our own and then, at 1:40 PM, the Mauna Kea Summit %26amp; Stars Tour with Hawaii Forest %26amp; Trail to end the day.
Wednesday 10/24:
Helicopter tour of the BI with Paradise Helicopter - will most likely choose their Kona: Volcano and Valley Excursion with landing (no set time as of yet, but will choose an AM tour). Lunch on our own and then, in the afternoon, the Luau at the Kona Village Resort to end the day.
Thursday 10/25:
Kohala Waterfalls Adventure with Hawaii Forest %26amp; Trail - unsure of picking the morning or afternoon tour (7:15 AM or 12:45 PM; any advice here?) (5 hour tour).
Friday 10/26:
Fly to Oahu to explore / tour Pearl Harbor on early flight and then explore the rest of Oahu (will rent a car); return to BI on latest flight to end the day.
Saturday 10/27:
Kilauea Volcano Adventure with Hawaii Forest %26amp; Trail (6:35 AM = 12 hour tour).
Sunday 10/28:
SNUBA with SNUBA Big Island, Inc. (8:00 AM, 2 dive SNUBA boat tour = 3 hours). Lunch on our own, then, at 3:45 PM, a Manta Ray Night snorkel with Jacks Diving Locker to end the day.
Monday 10/29:
Open day to make-up any cancelled / changed plans due to weather, etc. If we don%26#39;t have to make-up anything, we may use it to explore. We are considering either just lounging around for our last day or trying to fly to Maui and explore that island, but we don%26#39;t know if going is worth it.
Tuesday 10/30:
Return home :-(
The feedback I%26#39;m looking for would be opinions on whether there seems to be too much packed into any single day, or the whole trip in general; also whether the cruise ships might have a negative impact on any of the activities we have planned (I%26#39;ve heard the cruise ships have specific days of the week they dock and then people flood the attractions). Any other feedback would be much appreciated.
Thanks,
CVinje
Critique My Honeymoon Itinerary, Please?
Okay -- are you really active people who don%26#39;t like a minute free? Are you having a big wedding? My first thought is that this itinerary makes me tired and you will need some time just to rest after the wedding ... like a few free days on the beach/by a pool,etc. But I understand some people are just active and like to have everything planned ...
First, not sure where you are staying but if the house is in Kona proper, then you have a bit of a drive to get to the Waikoloa side ... on the second day, for example, you will be up early. Also you will be up late at night b/c of the stargazing tour. Do you have enough time to get between Waikoloa and wherever the Summit tour leaves from?
On Wednesday, where does the helicopter tour leave from? Are you going to go down towards Waikoloa for that, then come back to Kona, then back out to KVR for the luau?
On Sunday, do you have enough time to do the SNUBA, come home, clean up, eat lunch, and get back at 3:45?
It just sounds like you are running around an awful lot. I would want to take a break, do some exploring on my own, etc. Drive south one day ... axe the waterfall tour and do it on your own. Maybe the same for the volcano. Hawaii is really easy as a do-it-yourself vacation.
Congrats on the honeymoon.
Critique My Honeymoon Itinerary, Please?
I have to agree that this seems like quite a bit to pack in on a honeymoon trip. My wife and I spent 10 days years ago on our honeymoon with nothing planned. We got up each day and just explored deciding on what to do each day. Some days we felt like just ';hanging'; around the beach and pool. I don%26#39;t think I would try and cram so much in for just a one week stay, that gives you a reason for coming back each year after year after year!
I%26#39;m EXHAUSTED, and I was only reading about your plans! It looks like you have two major activities planned for every single day. I would plan perhaps three major activities for the entire stay -- and skip any hops to other islands. (If you want to see Pearl Harbor and some of Oahu, fly to Honolulu the morning of your last day and fly home from there that evening.)
I don%26#39;t think you realize that Hawaii is a HUGE island, requiring a lot of driving to reach its sights. It is also HOT.
For me, perhaps the greatest appeal of the islands is getting on ';island time'; and relaxing -- not having a demanding schedule, being able to stop and explore some sight that catches your fancy. Maybe, if you must fill in a schedule you need to write ';Free Time'; in all but a third of the squares.
Way to much on the trip in total. I%26#39;d say maybe book 3 things in advance and then go with the flow once you get there. Remember when you head to Oahu you are going to be spending a lot of time in airports that day.
In total it sounds like you are going to be spending more time in your rental car then on the beach.
Excellent feedback, I was worried that I had a little too much planned. Thank you for the input, I%26#39;ll take it into account and try to cut some of the things out - now we just have to make the hard decisions on what we%26#39;ll pass on.
At this point I%26#39;m considering skipping the 12 hour volcano / island tour to begin with and just exploring on our own.
Again, I really appreciate the feedback from more savvy Hawaii travelers like yourselves!
Thanks,
CVinje
Okay, if you%26#39;re thinking about fewer tours, here are some suggestions ...
Day 2 ... you will be awake early anyway, so going to Waikoloa should be easy. However, looking at the DolphinQuest Web site, it doesn%26#39;t seem like there is a place to shower after the dolphin adventure (maybe there is and I am reading it wrong, though...) But assuming there isn%26#39;t, you are going to be wet ...the encounter is only 1/2 an hour ... so you are finished by 10, with nowhere to shower, and the Mauna Kea tour is leaving from (and returning at 10 pm to) the King%26#39;s Shops near the Hilton, so you don%26#39;t want to be driving back to Kona. Maybe skip the dolphin encounter ... relax in the morning and do the Mauna Kea tour in the pm.
Wednesday -- sleep in ... check out a beach ... snorkel at some of the beaches south of Kona (the snorkeling is GREAT here .. or do the SNUBA in the morning. Eat a nice dinner somewhere. RELAX!
Thursday ... LONG DAY ... Volcanoes Park. Drive to Hilo ... see some of the waterfalls on this side of the island on your own ... take the Volcano Helicopter tour midday (you%26#39;ll see the lava and waterfalls -- no landing, but also $300 cheaper!) Then go to the park and spend some time driving/hiking around. Drive home that night (be careful).
Friday -- open day -- do whatever you want to ... sleep in ... go to KVR luau that night.
Saturday -- sleep in ... be lazy. Do the Manta Ray dive if you still want to...
Sunday -- hold this day out for anything you want to do that you%26#39;ve discovered along the way
Monday ... you do not want to explore Maui for a day! Maybe fly to Oahu this day ... spend the afternoon exploring ... spend the night, go to Pearl Harbor Tuesday morning. Fly home Tuesday night. Or skip PH this time around and just be lazy!
Generally I plan one activity, if that, for a week-long trip ... this is still packing in a lot .. but just some suggestions of how you might reduce a bit and still see a lot of what you want.
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